SPRING 2020 | FRES COMMUNITY NEWS | Page 1

Thank You Thank you for your patience,

Thank you for working from home,

Thank you for learning from home,

Thank you for keeping your family safe,

Thank you for connecting with each other,

Thank you for doing the absolute best job during such a hard time,

We thank you and we love you.

SPRING UPDATE / 2020

FRES NEWSF O R T R U P E R T

C O M M U N I T Y

Home learning outside…

FRES FAMILIES,

This past month has been challenging to say the least. I want to thank you all for staying home and staying safe. We definitely miss seeing everyone face to face. We hope that everyone has had contact with a few people from the school and we want to remind everyone that we are here for you.

This new style of learning has been a rollercoaster of successes and frustrations. We hear you and agree that this has been challenging. We thank you for being patient and reaching out. We also hope you are taking care of yourselves through this crazy time.

The Ministry of Education has a site dedicated to making sure BC students Keep Learning. I have included some tips from them in this newsletter. Above all we want you to know that what you are doing is enough. What works for you and your family is not the same as everyone else. Also remember that ALL students around the world are in similar situations. Your child will not be behind if they don’t finish that fractions activity… or miss part of a novel study. What matters is that they know we all care.

Most of you by now have navigated through the websites to find your child’s teachers information. If not I have included info on the last page. Please, please, please contact us if you need help.

One of my grade seven students sent me a message the other day. She sent me a video reminding me that it is ok to not be ok. These are exceptional times and yes, she was right, it’s ok to not be ok. (Thanks Lexi) FRES cares about your mental health and if you need to talk we are here.

Take Care / Stay Safe

Alison Webber Weekly Updates

SeaView Elementary has switched from a monthly newsletter to a weekly update. I really like the idea and will try to do a weekly update page of some sort.

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FORT RUPERT HOME LEARNING UPDATE

Look at these beautiful

March / April birthday

faces!

DEAR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS

EXCERPT FROM OPEN SCHOOL BC…

Learning from Home

These are exceptional times. It’s important for children to keep learning, but there is no expectation that the pace and rigour of a normal school day be duplicated at home. Teachers will continue to provide instruction and parent/caregiver involvement will depend on the age and ability of the child and available time. Every family will determine what works best for them in discussion with their children’s teachers. Make use of what you have available and don’t worry that your child is missing out if there’s something you don’t have. Simple everyday items and activities offer great learning opportunities.

SO WHAT HELPS?

Routine

Space to Work

Helping your Child (and taking care of Yourself)

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EVERYDAY LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Cooking & Baking Cleaning, Organizing,

and Daily Chores Budgeting Scheduling Gardening

Students have been stepping up and working hard during these times… keep up the good work.

M O R E F R O M O P E N S C H O O L B C A B O U T :

KEEPING HEALTHY

Talking to Your Child about COVID-19

Fear and worry are normal for children of all ages. Things we can do to manage stress and support our children during these unusual times include:

‣ remaining calm

‣ providing appropriate factual information

‣ helping them feel some level of control

When talking to our children, a solutions-focused approach is most helpful:

‣many things are being done to help the current situation (work by governments, doctors, nurses, schools, etc.)

‣ it will get better

‣ life will return to normal

‣ let’s focus on caring for our family and friends

What We Can Do

Help stop the spread of the virus by practicing correct behaviours:

‣ thoroughly washing hands

‣ physical distancing

‣ practicing good etiquette when coughing or sneezing

‣ staying healthy through daily exercise, good nutrition and sleep

Taking Care of Your Child’s Mental Health

Here are some ways to support your child:

‣maintain normal, predictable routines as much as possible

‣ have calm, age-appropriate, fact-based discussions

‣ focus on the positive

‣model compassion, positive coping and self-care skills

‣ eat healthy meals together

‣make sure children are getting enough sleep

‣ spend more time together, increase play time – both inside and out

‣ for older children, encourage breaks from the news and social media (if you do watch the news, watch it together to provide an opportunity for conversation and help to keep things in perspective)

Taking Care of YOUR Mental Health

Take care of yourself, not just for your well-being, but also for those you care about and support.

‣ take time to eat and drink water

‣ stay active to increase energy, boast immunity, reduce insomnia and feel positive

‣ get enough sleep (7-9 hrs per night)

‣ stay connected, supportive relationships are a powerful influence on our sense of wellness.

‣ take time for yourself during the day

‣ be mindful of your thoughts and feelings, both positive and negative – focus on what is meaningful

‣ treat yourself with compassion and gentlenesss

Keep Active

Taking frequent, active breaks away from devices is an important part of staying healthy.

‣ put on some music and dance

‣ work through an online video (search “kids workout videos”)

‣ run up and down stairs

‣ jump rope

‣ stretch

Being outside is important for children. Outdoor Play Canada has guidelines on what’s appropriate during the current pandemic. Keeping appropriate physical distancing, family members could:

‣ go for a walk

‣ play in the backyard

‣ go for a bike ride

FOR FURTHER INFO VISIT OPEN SCHOOL BC

(CLICK HERE)

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GRADE K1

Mrs. Boyko communicates with her students using classic FreshGrade and Facebook.

Websites

GRADE 234

Ms. Graham communicates with her students using her website:

Ms. Graham’s Class

And has zoom meetings.

GRADE 456

Miss Cox communicates with her students using her website:

Exploring with Miss Sea

Uses Facebook and has zoom meetings.

GRADE 67

Miss Webber and Mrs. Williams communicates with their students using the website:

Home Learning Activities

Miss Webber also uses Facebook, Instagram, and has zoom meetings.

LIBRARY / ADST

Mrs. Connaty communicates with her students using her website:

Connaty Farms

And has zoom library and support meetings.

SUPPORT STAFF

All of our staff have been connected to every child in Fort Rupert Elementary. They do their best to connect at least once a week with their students. They are using zoom, messenger, Facebook, and phone calls to support everyone.